Adrian Gonzalez ‘Locked In’ After Hammering 200th Career Home Run Against Nationals

BOSTON –– Adrian Gonzalez has cracked a career milestone.

With his solo shot in the eighth inning of Friday's 7-4 loss to the Nationals, the Red Sox first baseman belted his 200th career long ball in the majors. Gonzalez could've reached that landmark earlier, but Nationals outfielder Xavier Nady robbed him in the third inning.

"It feels good," Gonzalez said. "But doing it on a night that we lost takes away a lot of the pleasure from it."

His at-bats against the Nationals were still very impressive. Following a three-hit effort against the Orioles on Thursday, Gonzalez went 2-for-5 on Friday, but made strong contact during each of his sequences.

As far as Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine is concerned, the tide is quickly turning for Gonzalez, who struggled in April and May by hitting just four homers –– a much slower pace from when he reached 27 homers in 2011.

"Adrian looks locked in right now, boy," Valentine said. "Home run taken away and a 400-footer for his 200^th to center field. He looks very good right now."

Amid his emergence, Gonzalez still complimented Nady, his former teammate with the Padres, for leaping over the right field fence to snag what would have been his first home run of the night.

"Just a good catch," Gonzalez said. "We've got the short fence that allows him to be able to get over that fence pretty easily. He just made a good play on it."

Despite being robbed, Gonzalez still appreciated his achievement. Of his 200 career homers, Gonzalez has hit 32 of them for the Red Sox. 

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